Fbuit-djryietor appakatus



A. C..LEW|S.

Fruit Drier. NO. 29,390. Patented July 31, 1860.

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UNITE ARBA C. LEW'IS, OF BURLINGTON, MICHIGAN.

FRUIT-DRYING APPARATUS.

Specification of Letters Patent No. 29,390, dated July 31, 1860.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, A. C. Lnwis, of Burlington, in the county of Calhounand State of Michigan, have invented a new and Improved F ruit-DryingDevice; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, andexact description of the same, reference being had to the accompanyingdrawings, forming a part of this specification, in which Figure l is aside sectional view-of my invention, taken in the line 00, m, Fig. 2;Fig. 2, a horizontal section of the same, taken in the line 7 y, Fig. 1.

Similar letters of reference indicate corresponding parts in the twofigures.

The object of the invention is to facilitate in a very great degree, thelabor of exposing the fruit to the sun in fair weather, and the movingof the same under cover during rains, and during the evening.

To enable those skilled in the art to fully understand and construct myinvent-ion I will proceed to describe it.

A represents a house of suitable dimensions, and B, the roof, so appliedthat it may be readily removed at pleasure in order to render theinterior of the house accessible. WVit-hin the house A, a platform C, issuspended by ropes or chains a, two at each side, which pass overpulleys b, within the house A, the ropes or chains a, at each side ofthe house being attached to a common rope or chain c, which ropes orchains are connected to a shaftD, at the front side of the house A.

On the shaft D, at about its center, there is placed a pulley E, andfrom the front side of the house, two parallel bars F, F, project,slightly inclined from a horizontal position. The front ends of the barsF, are connected by a cross tie G, to the center of which a pulley H, isattached; around the pulleys E, H, a rope or band I, passes.

J represents a series of fruit racks. These racks are of rectangularform, and they may be provided with fianched wheels cl, to run on ways6, e, on the bars F, F, and also to run on ways f, on the racks andplatform C, one rack fitting on another when housed or under cover, seeFig. 1. The back end of each rack J, is provided with an eye g, and thefront end of each rack is provided with hooks 72,, turning upward asshown clearly in Fig. l. The front rack J is also attached by a cord orchain 2', to the endless rope or band I.

The operation is as follows: The fruit to be dried is placed on theracks J, and when the fruit is entirely under cover, or within the houseA, the racks J, are in a position, oneover the other on the platform C,and the platform C, lowered within the house to its fullest extent. Whenit is required to expose the fruit, the shaft D, is turned in thedirection indicated by the arrow I, and the platform C, willconsequently be raised by the ropes or chains 64, c, and when theplatform is elevated to such a height that the uppermost rack J will beon a level with the ways 6, c, of the bars F, F, the rope or chain 2',will be actuated by the endless rope or band I, and the uppermost rackJ, will be drawn out on the ways 6, e, the succeeding racks following asthey reach the level of the ways 6, e, the hooks 71, of the severalracks as they reach the level of the ways 6, e, engaging with the eye g,of the one immediately in front of it. Thus all the racks are drawn outon the ways 6, e, of the bars F, and when it is necessary to house orput the fruit racks J, under cover, the shaft D, is turned from left toright, in the direction indicated by arrow 2, and the racks J, will besuccessively moved back on the platform C, and the platform and racksallowed to descend by their own gravity.

It will be seen from the above description, that the movement of theplatform C, and endless rope or band I, must have a relativeproportionate speed, in order that the racks J, may be moved off and onthe ways 6, e, and platform C.

The platform C, may be loaded, so as to insure its descent by gravity,as the cords c, are unwound from the shaft D.

The opening 7', through which the racks J, pass on the ways 6, 6, may beprovided with a flap or door 7c, to cover said opening when necessary.

Having thus described my invention,what

I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

The arrangement and combination in the manner herein shown and describedof the elevating platforms G, fruit racks J, bars F, and endless band I,With the shaft D, pulleys E, b, b, lifting ropes a, 0, and house A, sothat by turning the shaft D, the fruit Will be raised and carried out ofthe house and exposed to the sun and air and on re- 10 Versing shaft D,the fruit will be again deposited Within the house all as set forth.

AREA O. LEWIS.

lVitnesses:

BARZILLA ELLIS, BARZILLA ELLIS J r.

